The Florida Gators held on to a 77-75 win over the reigning, back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies. In this close game, Walter Clayton Jr. was key to the Gators’ success. Florida is one of the favorites to win the national championship this year, and Clayton will be crucial for their title hopes. Let’s dive into his impact and Florida’s championship chances.
Walter Clayton is Florida’s X-Factor to Winning the National Championship
Against UConn, Clayton finished with 23 points and poured in five threes. He hit multiple clutch shots down the stretch against the Huskies. This was key in keeping the Gators in the fight with a relentless UConn team. Florida head coach Todd Golden had lots of praise for Clayton Jr. and spoke about his game after the team’s win over UConn.
“His (Clayton’s) ability to continue to lock in and stay the course. Obviously, over the last eight minutes, I thought he did a great job of just kind of taking what the defense gave him, stepping up. His confidence level never wavers regardless of what is going on. He hit huge shots that allowed us to capitalize and win the game.”
Golden is spot on Clayton’s production and elite confidence are key to Florida’s success. The 6-foot-2 guard also finished with 23 points against Norfolk State in the Gators’ first-round game, his shooting was even more efficient as he went 54.5% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range. If you go back even further, Clayton Jr. put up 22 points in both SEC Tournament games against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers. The senior leader of this Florida team can score, and his contributions for the Gators thus far this postseason cannot be understated.
Clayton is Key for Florida’s Championship Chances
The scoring and leadership Clayton Jr. provides are key to Florida winning a national championship. His big-time performances against Alabama and Tennessee already won the Gators some hardware in the SEC Tournament. So, the same is possible as Florida enters the Sweet 16. The Gators have won eight games in a row dating back to their win on March 1 against the Texas A&M Aggies. Clayton Jr. has scored in bunches over that stretch with 22+ points in six out of those eight games. Impressively he was named the SEC tournament MVP.
He has also made at least two three-pointers in seven of those eight games. When the senior guard plays better for Florida, they tend to win a lot of games. Clayton is averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 38.7% from three-point land. He is among the best guards in the country and the engine of Florida’s explosive offense. Guard play is crucial to winning games in the tournament, so having a superstar like Clayton is key to Florida’s title chances.
Florida’s Path Ahead
Florida is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. They will face off against the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday, March 27. Maryland also has an explosive offense, with their starting five averaging the most points per game in the nation for Florida to beat them, they’ll need Clayton’s elite play to continue. Beyond that, in a possible Final Four or national championship game with a likely fellow top seed, Clayton’s stellar play will have to continue. While Florida has several quality offensive options, including Will Richard, Alex Condon, and Alijah Martin, there’s no denying Clayton is the best and most consistent scorer. Ultimately, if Clayton keeps up his elite production, then Florida will be in a great spot to win it all.
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